She laughs, lightening the moment enough that I take a deep breath and rest my hands on the metal table.
Mia’s quick to get back to business. “Is there a reason you’re calling, Calypso?”
I sigh. “Yeah. I’m sure you’ve heard that Stefan is back in Amada Beach.”
Papers shuffle on her end. “Oh, I’ve heard, and I plan to give his little cherub of a fiancée my business card as soon as I can.”
I huff out an amused breath. Mia sounds vindicated at the prospect of a round two with Stefan and his lawyer. Personally, I’d love to be far,faraway from the ring this time.
“So, you’re calling about Stefan then? Is he bothering you?”
“Er, yes.” One thing Mia made me promise her early on was that I wouldn’t lie to her. After how much she helped me, it’s the least I can do, regardless of every instinct telling me to hang up and handle it myself. “He’s why I’m calling. He’s been contacting me.”
Faint scratching of a ball point pen comes through the line. “Recently?”
Grimacing, I tap my fingers on the table. “Ish?”
Whatever she’s writing comes to a stop. “I need a more concrete timeline than that.”
“It’s been a while.”
“Longer than a year?” I hum in acknowledgement, making her sigh. “Two years?…Threeyears?”
“Mmm. Something like that, yes.”
I imagine she’s shaking her head at me. “I need to move some things around but can you meet me at my office on Monday? Eight a.m.?
“Yeah.” It’s reluctant, my rationale ignoring the reason I called her to begin with. “That works for me.”
“I’ll see you Monday, but call me if anything happens before then.”
Juanita comes through the kitchen door, so I promise Mia I will and end the call.
Everything feels too overwhelming now—tooreal.
Tapping my hands against my thighs, I look around the kitchen. “Hey, Nita, where’s Chuck?”
She looks around the fridge door, concern creasing her features. “He ran to the store for a few ingredients. He wanted to test something. Is everything okay, mija?”
Nodding, I glance at the clock. “Everything’s fine.”
The room feels too small, and my skin too fucking tight.
“Will you be okay if I run out for a bit?” It is our policy to never leave anyone alone in the kitchen for an extended period of time. With our levels of experience, it’s unlikely any big accidents will happen but it’s not impossible. “If it’s not busy, I can ask Gav—”
She waves a frosting-covered spatula in my direction. “Chuck won’t be long, and I’ll be decorating these cookies for at least an hour.”
“Okay,” I breathe out and remove my apron.
I need to get out of here—feel the ocean air on my skin. The humidity cloaks me like a weighted blanket as the back door slams behind me. Without thinking about a destination, I take a walk around the neighborhood.
My feet don’t lead me to the beach.
The weather app didn’t say anything about precipitation this morning, but it started to sprinkle on my way to the dance studio. It’s enjoyable for now, but the clouds are moving in over the ocean.
I come to a slow, hesitant stop in the middle of the parking lot. Half the building is closed off due to construction, and I’m not here for the dancers. However, my current outfit—biker shorts, a t-shirt, and slip-ons—are probably not fit for an active construction site.
One quick glance around tells me Liam is here somewhere, because his 4Runner isn’t far from where I’m awkwardly standing. Coming here feels foolish now.
